Artist 49: Jan van Eyck

Jan van Eyck, born in c. 13965, was a Flemish painter who was considered one of the best painters of the Northern Renaissance. He wasn't the first to use oil painting however he was one of the first. He mastered it and using details with it, which is evident in his painting, "The Arnolfini Portrait," pictured here. The reason I chose this painting was because of the format. It isn't anything different or amazing, however I recognize that I have difficulties sometimes having a good format with my pictures. I think format is incredibly important, and it can make or break your entire picture. I think too often I don't think about format enough, or I just need to learn how to utilize it in a more effective way. The format in this painting is done well. The figures aren't squished into the frame, it doesn't look cluttered, it looks very free and relaxed, as far as formatting and placement of figures goes. I plan to experiment and finally understand what it takes to be good at creating a perfect format for my subject matter.